Crankcase ventilation



July 21, 1931. H, G, KAMRATH 1,815,623

cRANxcAsE VENTILATION Filed Aug-i 1s, 192? 2 sheets-sheet 1 v s I {iE- Zi w @ya l l l mmf;

@annata July 2l, 1931.

H. G. KAMRATH I 1,815,623

CRANKCASE VENTILATION Filed Aug. 13, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2L atten/41,0 i

Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT- oFFicE HERBERT Gr.KAMRATI-I, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO A C SPARK PLUG COM- PANY, OFFLINT, MICHIGAN, A COMPANY OF MICHIGAN CRANKCASE VENTILATION Applicationiled August 13, 1927. Serial No. 212,698.

This invention relates to crankcase ventilators for automobile enginesand more particularly to ventilators of this character in which the airfrom the crankcase is con ducted to the carburetor intake.

In order to ventilate an internal combustion motor properly it isnecessary to pass a considerable quantity of air through the crankcasewhen the engine is lirst started and is still cold. After the engine hasbeen ruiming some time and the crankcase and contents are quite warm,the water vapor and other hot gases escaping from the combustion chamberinto the crankcase will not pass from the gaseous to the liquid state sorapidly, if at all, and the need for ventilation is less.

It is an object of this invention to provide a Ventilating system for aninternal combustion engine which will pass a sufficient quantity o1* airthrough the crankcase when the engine is cold and which will vary thequantity ot air passing through the crankcase in accordance with theneeds of the engine. More specilically it is an object of this inventionto provide a Ventilating device for an engine crank case which willdivert from the carburetor intake through the crankcase and ba-ck intothe intake a current of air suflicient to ventilate the crankcase whilecold and which, as the engine heats, will progressively reduce theproportion of the carburetor intake current which is passed through thecrankcase. It is a further object of this invention to provide aVentilating device of this character which will progressively reduce theproportion of the incoming air which is permitted to pass through thecrankcase and which is automatically controlled by the changingtemperature in the cooling system.

Other objects and advantages of the iii-I vention will appear in thecourse of the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, ofthe valve and its connection to the thermostat in the cooling system.

Figure 2 is a plan view taken in the direction indicated by the lines 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. i

Figure 5 is a section Figure 4.

VFigure G is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates generally the inletto the radiator which is connected by theV usual flexible tube 12 to thewater jacket about the engine block, not shown.

The numeral 14 indicates a portion of the engine crankcase which isprovided with two narrow openings 16. Securely fixed to the crankcase atthis point by means of bolts 17 is kthe by-pass member or casting 18provided with outwardly converging conduits 20 and 22, an inner end ofeach registering with one of the openings 16 in the crankcase. Fixed tothe outer end of the casting 18 by means of bolts 24 is the dampercasting 26, which is provided with an opening registering with theconverged ends of the conduits 20 and 22. Pivoted on the damper castingbetween the openings into the conduits 20 and 22 is the shaft 28carrying the butterfly valve 29. Fixed to the damper casting by anysuitable means such as by welding are the pipes 3() and 32 of the airintake system. The pipe 30 ordinarily is provided with an air cleaner.The pipe 32 leads to the carburetor and intake manifold. By theconstruction described it is seen that with the parts in the positionillustrated in Figure 4 part oit the air entering through the pipe 30 isdeflected by the butterfly valve 29 into the conduit 20, the main bodyof the incoming air passing on to theV pipe 32 leading to the carburetorLand intake manifold. That portion of the air deflected into the conduit2O passes through the crankcase and out through the conduit 22'into thevalve casing where it becomes mixed with the rest of the incoming air.Thisv construction thus provides a on the line 5 5 of damper between theair inlet and the crankcase.

The amount of air deflected into the crankcase can be controlled by theposition of the butterfly valve. The device for controlling the positionof this valve will now be described. Fixed to the shaft 28 is a pinion3.. meshing with the teeth of a rack 34 slidable in a groove in angleiron 36 held lixed to the top of the casting 26 by a key 38 extendingthrough the shaft 28. The angle iron 3G is provided at one end with ascrew 40 for clamping the angle iron about a flexible hollow tube 42which is fastened by a. nut 44 to an externally threaded opening 46 inthe bottom of the radiator inlet 10.

Fixed to the roof of the upper section of the radiator inlet by means ofa nut 48 is an ordinary corrugated expansible thermostat 50. A shaft 52is connected to the bottom of the thermostat 50 and extends through thepening 46 into the hollow tube 42. Packing may be 4used about the shaft52 to insure against leakage from the radiator inlet into the hollen7tube 42. An opening 54 is provided between the upper and lower sectionsof the radiator inlet and fixed to the shaft 52 adjacent this opening isa disk or closure member 56. The disk is fixed to the shaft 52 at such aposition that when the liquid in the radiator is cold the disk will beheld in closed position as illustrated. In order to allow a smallcurrent to pass through the opening at any time, the disk may beperforated or the edge of the disk or opening 54 may be uneven so thatthe disk will not close the opening completely. A Bowden wire orflexible element 58 connects the lower end of the shaft 52 and toothedrack 34.

rlhe operation of the device is as follows. yWhen the engine is notrunning'and the water in the radiator is cold, the disk 5G will hold theopening 54 substantially but not quite closed. The flexible element 58holds the rack 34 in position to retain the butterfly valve open asillustrated in Figure 4. Then the engine is started, the disk permits asmall current of cooling' liquid from the engine to pass through theradiator inlet so that the thermostat will be heated as the temperatureof the engine rises. As the cooling liquid becomes heated, thethermostat expands and moves the shaft 52 downward. Movement of theshaft 52 downward carries the disk 56 away from the opening 54 so thatwhen the engine. becomes heated to the proper operating temperature thevalve will be open and will permit a full flow of cooling liquid intothe radiator. l thus provide a thermostatically controlled valve in thecooling system. Downward movement of the shaft 52 also operates throughthe Bowden 'wire 58 to move the rack 34 which acts through the pinion 32to rotate the shaft 28 to move the lbutterfly valve toward closedposition. As is well known, the condensation of moisture does not occurwithin the crankcase when the temperature of the radiator water is abovea certain point, called the critical temperature. The parts abovedescribed are so arranged that when this temperature is reached, thevalve 29 will be held closed. This construction provides athermostatically controlled damper between the air inlet and thecrankcase.

As regards the Ventilating device above, it is obvious that it could becontrolled by a thermostat located elsewhere than in the cooling system,it being necessary only that the therniostat be located where it will beresponsive to a change in temperature of the engine crankcase, eitherdirectly or indirectly.

l claim:

l. The combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, of a connection establishingcommunication between the crankcase above the level of the oil therein,and the rair intake, and means for varying the capacity of saidconnection inversely with the temperature of the cooling system.

2. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, an opening leading from theintake into the crankcase above the level of the oil therein, an elementmovable to vary the effective size of said opening, and means operatedsolely by a change in temperature of the cooling system for moving saidelement.

In combination with an internal combustion engine including an airintake and a cranl-case, openings leading from the intake into thecrankcase above the level of the oil therein, an element in said intakemovable to vary the elfecti-ve size of one of said openings, and meansoperated by a change in the temperature of the engine for moving saidelement.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine including an airintake and a crankcase, openings leading from the intake into thecrankcase above the level of the oil therein, an element in said intakefor deflecting a part of the incoming air into one of the openings andmovable to vary the effective size of said opening, and means operatedby a. change in temperature of the engine for moving said element.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine including an airintake and a crankcase, openings leading from the intake int-o thecrankcase above the level of the oil therein, an element in said intakemovable to vary the effective sizes of said openings, and means operatedby a change in temperature of the engine for moving said element.

G. ln combination with an internal conibustion engine including an airintake and a crankcase, openings leading from the intake into thecrankcase, an element in said intake for deflect-ing a portion of theincoming'air into one of said openings and movable to vary the eifectivesizes of said openings, and means operated by a change in temperature ofthe engine for moving said element.

7. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, openings leading from saidintake into the crankcase above the level of the oil therein, an elementin said intake movable to vary the effective size of one of saidopenings, and means operated by a change in temperature of thecooling'system for moving said element.

8. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, openings leading from the airintake into the crankcase, an element in the intake for deflecting apart of the incoming air into one of said openings and movable to varythe effective size of said opening, and means operated by a change inthe temperature of the cooling system for moving said element.

9. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase openings leading from the intakeinto the crankcase, an element in said intake movable to open or closesaid openings, a thermostat in the cooling system, and means operated bythe heating and cooling of the thermostat for moving said element toclose and open said openingsl respectively. y

10. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engine,including an air intake and a crankcase, openings leading from theintake into the crankcase, an element within the intake for deflectingair into one of said openings and movable to open or close said opening,a thermostat in the cooling system, and means operated by heating andcooling of the thermostat for moving said element to close and open saidopening respectively.

11. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, openings leading from theintake into the crankcase, an element in said intake for deilecting aportion of the incoming air into one of the openings and movable toclose said openings, a thermostat in the cooling system, and meansoperated by the rising temperature of the thermostat for closing saidopenings.

12. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding anV air intake and a crankcase openings leading from theintake into the crankcase, an element in said intake movable to open orclose one of said openings,- a thermostat -in the cooling systemadjacent the radiator inlet, a shaft extending through said inlet andreciprocated by the cooling and heating of said thermostat, and meansoperated by the reciprocation of said shaft for moving said element toopen or close said openings.

13. In combination with a liquid cooled Vinternal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, openings leading from the airintake into the crankcase, an element in said intake movable to vary theeffective size of one of said openings, a thermostat in the coolingsystem adjacent the radiator inlet, a shaft extending through said inletand reciprocated by the heating and cooling of said thermostat, aflexible tube connected with the inlet and intake, a flexible thrustmember connected with the shaft and extending through said tube, andmeans operated by the reciprocation of said shaft and thrust member formoving said element.

14. In a structure as recited in claim 11, said means comprising a rackfixed to said thrust member and a cooperating pinion connected with themovable element.

15. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, a damper between the intake andthe crankcase, a valve in the water system, and means operated by a risein the temperature of the Water system for moving said damper towardclosed position and said valve toward open position and vice versa.

16. In combination with a liquid cooled internal combustion engineincluding an air intake and a crankcase, a damper between the intake andthe crankcase, a thermostat in the cooling system and having a thrustmember connected therewith and adapted to be reciprocated by the riseand fall of the temperature of the cooling system, a valve in thecooling system, and means operated by the movement of the thrust memberin one direction for moving the damper toward closed Vand the valvetoward open position and by movement of the thrust member in theopposite direction for moving said damper toward open and the valvetoward closed position.

17. An internal combustion engine having a crankcase provided with aninlet passage and an outlet passage, means for causing a stream of airto flow past the entrance to said inlet passage, movable meansprojecting into said air stream for deflecting air into said entrance,and means Controlled by the engine temperature for moving said rst namedmeans away from deflecting position as the engine temperature rises.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERBERT Gr. KAMRATI-I.

